Women in sports have always been a sensitive topic. Somehow the world is now recognizing gender equality in the sports industry. However, it was never the case from the beginning. Legends like Billie Jean King stood up for the women in sports with their leadership skills and will to change.

We, Sportz Point always found how gender parity, respect, and equality can make huge changes in life and sports. This section will cover some great contributions from female athletes, leaders, and women around the world. Every Tuesday there will be a new article on Women In Sports.

In our first article of the series, we will put a light on the sport- Baseball. To be more clear, Pro Baseball and the Major League Baseball (MLB).

Women In Sports: Female Coaches in Pro Baseball and MLB

Baseball has always been a men-oriented game. The MLB is a league structure based on male athletes, male support staff, coaches, physios, doctors, and many.

Yet, there is been few who were willing to make changes. Moreover was dedicated and strong enough to make changes. 

Female Coaches in Pro Baseball and Major League Baseball

Justine Siegal: The First-ever female coach in Pro Baseball and MLB

Justine Siegal was the first-ever female to coach a men's team in professional baseball. In 2009, she was hired by the Brockton Rox. 

Justine has a Ph.D. in Sport Psychology from Springfield College and was always wanted to be a Baseball Coach from the small age of 16.

After making history in 2009, it was just a matter of time before Justine debuted in the MLB as a coach. In 2015, she became the first-ever female coach in Major League Baseball. She was the coach of Oakland Athletics. 

Along with that, she was also the first-ever female to throw batting practice to an MLB team during Spring Training. Justine has many more achievements in her career as a coach. She coached the Japan and Mexico Baseball team as a guest coach in 2019.

Beating stereotypes has been the feature of Justine Siegal. From once being told that girls only play softballs to being a coach of a men's pro baseball team, she is been an inspiration to many. 

Justine is currently a baseball consultant for the tv show, A League of Their Own.

Rachel Balkovec: First-ever hitting coach in the MLB

Rachel Balkovec is another trendsetter in the Baseball game as a female. She is the first-ever hitting coach in Major League Baseball.

In 2019, New York Yankees appointed Rachel as their hitting coach. Before that, Rachel worked as a strength and conditioning coordinator with the Johnson City Affiliate in 2016. It was also the first time a woman had held that role in baseball.

Rachel, a woman of determination faced gender inequality issues throughout her career. In an interview with CBS News, she has explained how she was rejected in the MLB just because she was a female. 

But, she never gave up. Rachel started changing her name Rae in all of her applications. Boom! she was getting calls straightaway for the job. Eventually, she ended up joining the St. Louis Cardinals as a strength and conditioning coach.

Her fighting spirit and determination to combat any situation is a lesson for any female who wants to make a change.

Also Read: 10 Inspiring Indian Sportswomen: International Women's Day Special

Rachel Holden: Hitting coach of Chicago Cubs

Another Rachel, and nearly the same story of passion, hard work, talent, and determination.

On the same day, Balkovec was hired by the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs hired Rachel Holden as their hitting coach in 2019.

Before coming to coaching Holden was a four-time All-American softball player at Marshall. Post her retirement, she took up coaching. But, found the gender imparity issue in the recruiting system. Hence, she went onto make her own company, Folden Fastpitch.

As her training methods and tools started getting popular, she found herself at Justin Stone's Elite Baseball Training academy. She used to teach hitting swings to both male and female players. In 2019 as Justin was appointed by the Chicago Cubs, Folden also joined them as a full-time hitting coach.

Buy the book Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win (Women in Science) By Rachel Ignotofsky

 Alyssa Nakken - First full-time female coach in MLB history

On July 20, 2020, Alyssa Nakken made history by becoming the first-ever full-time female coach in MLB history.

She was in the first-base coaching box for the San Francisco Giants in the final innings of an exhibition game.

Though, Alyssa who never thought of being a coach served the Francisco baseball operations department for six years. She worked there on multiple roles including the health and wellness programs of the department.

Alyssa will focus on fostering a clubhouse culture in the Giants team.

Alyssa was also a great softball player in her time. She is a three-time all-conference selection and a four-time Academic All-American at Sacramento State. She also has a sports management degree from the University of San Francisco.

"Coaching, I never saw it. This job has kind of been hidden for so long. I'm so excited to be in this role for the challenge and the opportunity to make an impact for this organization that I love. But also, I'm excited that now girls can see there is a job on the field in baseball. It's really cool."

Alyssa on being the First full-time female coach in MLB history

Bianca Smith: The First Black Woman to Coach in Pro Baseball

Racism in sports was always a subject of matter just like gender imparity. However, it seems like it is getting a bit less as the Boston Red Sox hired Bianca Smith as their coach in the minor league.

Though, Bianca aspires to be a major league coach one day. Bianca, who is a die-hard Red Sox fan, remembers her mother who was a Yankees fan. 

In her resume, Bianca had Two graduate degrees — one in sports business, the other in sports law. Internships with the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers and one with Major League Baseball. College coaching experience. Certifications on multiple software programs that analyze pitching and hitting. And, the Red Sox could not help themselves from recruiting Bianca as their coach.

While being the coach on Division III Carroll University's baseball team, someone had asked her what she did. As in reply, she had told she was the coach of the team, the man said, "That team's going to lose."

Bianca says she kept on proving herself. 

"I try to use as fuel. I try to prove them wrong."

Women like these have made a valuable contribution to the empowerment of women in sports and gender equality in sports. I hope this series "Women in sports" inspires every man and woman to break that stereotypes and bring change to the world. The episode - Female coaches in pro baseball is dedicated to all the women still fighting to break all the gender barriers.

Artificial Intelligence has been improving the sports we watch and analyze for nearly the past 20 years, but the latest generation of ultra-modern AI tools is revolutionizing every aspect of sports, from improving player and team performances to ensuring safety along with fan engagement and the experiences.

AI can process and store large amounts of data, which allows us to gain insights that we couldn't see before. This capability is at the center of the revolution. For the players, this brings improved strategies, varied training methods, and a significantly lower risk of injury.

The fans enjoy a whole new level of engagement in the game, thanks to Al-powered platforms providing content tailored to them, such as virtual reality experiences and more.

The massive impact of AI in the Sports Industry

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the Sports Industry rapidly by offering solutions to common problems such as individual performance, tactical requirements, injuries and recoveries, variations in training, etc.

The capacity of AI and GenAI tools to analyze complex data and provide instant insights is ushering in a new era of athletic performance and fan engagement as well.

From predictive analytics that improve player safety and performance to AI-powered viewing experiences for fans, the influence of artificial intelligence is setting the bar higher across the industry.

1. Player and team performance

GenAI can analyze team and player behavior to reach conclusions that would contribute to improved training and coaching. For example, they can monitor and analyze the movements of players with computer vision.

In this way, they can assess whether an athlete is moving wrongly or could be injured. Machine learning algorithms can watch game videos to identify patterns of the opposing team. Sports coaches can be made to develop wiser game plans and strategies by artificial intelligence.

Some techniques, including motion tracking and motion analysis, can capture changes in the posture, movement, or technique of a player that indicte fatigue or poor motor control.

According to a study by Grand View Research, the sports analytics market size was valued at $1.9 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $5.2 billion by 2028, showcasing the rapid growth and demand for advanced analytics tools in sports.

The following two tools are widely applicable to player and team analysis:

• SportVU: This system tracks detailed player and ball motion in a game with computer vision and machine learning. It can analyze shot mechanics, accelerations and decelerations, speed, and distance.
• KINEXON: This system tracks positional and motion data in real-time by equipping players with sensors.

2. Injury Prediction and Prevention

Injuries occur regularly in professional sports. Identifying and preventing injuries before they even occur is likely one of the most thrilling applications of AI.

Teams can utilize AI algorithms to monitor an individual's motion as they move their joints and strain their muscles. It can search for patterns or instabilities that signify an injury before the symptoms themselves appear.

AI can recognize a slight deviation in the amount of strain a soccer player puts on their knee joint and warn the coaches or medical staff. Way before the injury became acute enough to cause the player to miss games, the team could either give them rest or do exercises to help them recover.

A report by MarketsandMarkets estimates that the global sports medicine market, which incorporates AI-driven health monitoring solutions, is projected to reach $9.3 billion by 2026, underlining the significant role of AI in athlete well-being.

The following two tools could be used in the AI-powered prediction and prevention of injuries:

• Sparta Science: It uses computer vision and motion sensing in analyzing movement patterns of an athlete. Based on motion data, biomechanical deficiencies, and especially risks of increased injury, machine learning models are able to identify those. 
• Zone 7: It measures injury risk using factors such as workload, degree of fatigue, and others through artificial intelligence and research in sports science. Their methods take age, position, body composition, and medical history into account. 

3. Training Through AI-Powered Analytics and Wearables

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are examples of wearable technology that have become essential for tracking many of the parameters mentioned earlier.

Wearable GPS devices that can track athletes' speed and location, overall distance traveled, and movement patterns are available to provide relevant information.

Wearable heart rate monitors use optical sensors to measure blood flow in real-time, tracking the heart rate. This is an important aspect of monitoring heart health, fitness levels, and recovery. It also helps in tracking blood oxygen levels, which is another important component of modern-day fitness trackers. They use optical sensors to track the oxygen saturation level of blood.

Since the 2010s, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), such as GPS tracking vests, have been commonly used in professional sports. Such vests are offered with discrete and effective GPS tracking and sensors located on the back and shoulders; they are typically worn as tank tops.

In football and rugby, the vest is mainly utilized to track the location and movement of a player and, thereby, report strengths and weaknesses.

4. Sports Commentary and Reporting

Sports commentary and reporting can automatically be generated from match events and live data by employing natural language processing (NLP) methods like GPT-3. Artificially intelligent commentary not only comments on a strategy but also summarizes the critical events of match play. 

Similarly, GenAI can create such highlights, summaries, and post-match data reportage for viewing audiences as well.

NLP methods can make the commentary more dramatic and interesting by taking into account the game statistics and situations in real-time data. With the use of generated personalities and tones, it is possible to accommodate various fan interests in the coverage.

Automated GenAI reporting enhances sports coverage and commentary without losing interesting and captivating stories.

5. Sports Officiating

The use of AI in sports officiating is not without controversy, including traditional backlash and concerns regarding technology's influence on the game. Yet, the improvements it introduces, such as real-time analysis and decision support, are dramatically enhancing the accuracy and fairness of officiating.

Its capabilities to review plays from multiple angles and analyze them in seconds are proving invaluable in high-level games where every call matters.

Despite initial doubts, the use of AI in officiating is increasingly being accepted, with many seeing its potential to eliminate human error and ensure a level playing field.

As the technology improves and its uses extend, its role in assisting fair play and accuracy in sports is poised to increase, ushering in a new era in the use of technology and sportsmanship.

6. Player Scouting

Team owners are using artificial intelligence to review the performance of the players. To determine the most skilled people to invest in, they use data analysis using artificial intelligence. It takes millions of dollars to find talent in the sports world.

So, team owners would like to ensure that scouting one player is the best decision. Artificial intelligence is used widely in scouting players for any sport, be it cricket, football, or basketball.

AI-powered Change in Fan Engagement and Experiences

1. Personalized Fan Engagement

To provide customised fan experiences, GenAI algorithms can model the preferences and behaviours of audiences. Sports teams and broadcasters can use these insights to optimize engagement across media channels.

For example, social media platforms can deliver tailored video highlights, personalized promotions, and AI-recommended content to resonate with each fan.

The NBA revealed 'NB-AI', allowing fans to activate "movie mode" and watch live games animated like popular films, such as Spider-Man

pic.twitter.com/zb2IYT2YBX

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) February 16, 2024

Based on their past interactions and activities, the Generative AI identifies what content types, sports stats, and topics each fan finds most appealing. It creates and sends personalized content for each person. This level of customization, enabled by GenAI in sports, helps sports organizations connect more deeply with their audiences.

2. Viewing Experiences

GenAI can process live video to generate augmented reality (AR) overlays and graphics that enhance broadcasts or live streams.

For example, shot trajectories, real-time player stats, and situational analysis can be visualized and overlaid onto the gameplay footage. For virtual reality (VR), GenAI can create real-world simulated environments for an immersive in-game perspective.

The key innovation is using Generative AI to dynamically generate and adapt AR/VR overlays and environments on the fly, customized to each moment. As the narrative and action of the game shift, the GenAI-powered augmented experiences shift with them, elevating viewing to multidimensional engagement. 

A survey conducted by PwC found that 65% of sports fans are interested in using AR or virtual reality (VR) devices to watch sports, indicating a growing appetite for immersive experiences enabled by AI-driven technologies.

Conclusion

AI collaboration with sports is making the place safer as well as fairer. Predictive modeling and algorithms in AI are becoming a must for injury prevention. AI guarantees that more accuracy and fairness can be introduced in the outcome of a game by enhancing officiating. Both the aspects of performance and integrity are vital components in ensuring the prosperity and popularity of sports continue.

The impact of AI reaches sports journalism, advertising, and the creation of next-gen sports equipment, beyond the field or court. These innovations create new revenue streams and provide more exciting ways for fans to engage with their beloved sports and teams.

In this sense, artificial intelligence in the sports field could be said to be, by itself, a change not only for the athletes or for the coaches but for the sports system in general. With AI, the sports of the future could easily be foreseen because technology would harmoniously mix with manly athleticism at its highest levels.

Women’s cricket is constantly growing, and matches are continuously being played on a bigger stage with larger crowds. 

There are female cricketers who paved the way for others and continuously tried to grow the game even when only the smallest spotlight was on the sport, and such players need commending for their efforts. 

So, let's dig into the incredible careers and achievements of some of the best female cricketers who are making history.

Top Female Cricketers

10. Chamari Athapaththu | Sri Lanka 

Chamari Athapaththu is the greatest cricketer from Sri Lanka to have played women’s cricket. 

Debuting as a 19-year-old, she was soon noted for her aggressive batting. 

She became captain of the Sri Lanka national team and has helped a not-so-strong team challenge much more formidable opponents on the global stage.

In 2024 she led Sri Lanka to an underdog win in the Asia Cup women’s T20I series and finished as Player of the Tournament. 

Chamari has also led Sri Lanka to its first-ever series wins over South Africa and England in T20Is and over New Zealand in ODIs. 

She holds the record for most runs for Sri Lanka in women’s ODIs and T20Is, and her nine women’s ODI hundreds are a Sri Lankan record as well. 

In April 2024, her unbeaten 195 helped Sri Lanka complete the first-ever successful chase of more than 300 runs in a women’s ODI.

In 2023, a seating zone at the Sydney Cricket Ground was named “Chamari Bay” in her honor.

9. Laura Wolvaardt | South Africa 

Laura Wolvaardt made her debut for South Africa as an opening batter at age 16, and by age 25 she became her country’s record holder for most ODI runs, most ODI hundreds, and most T20I runs in women’s cricket. 

Along the way, she became the youngest centurion, male or female, for South Africa in international cricket. 

In 2024 Wolvaardt became only the third woman to score a hundred in all three formats of international cricket, achieving the feat in a Test vs. India. 

After that, she was also named captain of the South Africa T20I team for the World Cup and captained her side to the final where it lost to New Zealand.

8. Heather Knight | England 

Heather Knight took over as captain of the England women’s team in 2016 when Charlotte Edwards retired and led it to victory in the 2017 women’s ODI World Cup at home. 

She was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year that year and was also awarded an OBE. 

As of 2024 Knight has more than 5,000 runs in international cricket.

7. Amelia Kerr | New Zealand 

Amelia Kerr is a third-generation New Zealand cricketer who emerged on the international scene with a bang. 

At age 16, she was the youngest to earn a New Zealand Cricket contract and to debut for the national team in 2017. 

The next year, at 17, she became the youngest cricketer, man or woman, to score an international double century. During that innings, she beat the women’s ODI record held by Belinda Clark on her way to an unbeaten 232.

Not content with scoring a double, she also took 5 wickets while bowling in one of the all-time great all-round displays. 

Kerr has since been a consistent performer for New Zealand and in 2024 was named both the Player of the Final and the Player of the Tournament as New Zealand won the women’s T20I World Cup.

6. Hayley Matthews | West Indies 

Hayley Matthews is a cricketer from Barbados who plays for the West Indies women’s cricket team and became the team’s captain in 2022. 

Matthews is an all-rounder who has more than 4,000 runs in women’s ODIs and T20Is, as well as more than 100 wickets in each format. 

A natural athlete, she played both track and field and cricket in her youth, before focusing on cricket and making her debut for the West Indies. 

Her crowning glory was a Player of the Match performance in the women’s T20I World Cup final in 2016, as the West Indies beat favorites Australia to win its first title.

Matthews is a highly sought after player in franchise leagues across the world and was Player of the Tournament in the first edition of the WPL in 2023, when she helped her team, Mumbai Indians, win the title.

5. Nat Sciver-Brunt | England 

Nat Sciver-Brunt plays international cricket for England. She has scored more than 6,000 international runs with 10 centuries and taken more than 150 wickets as of 2024. 

She is credited with inventing the “Natmeg” shot, in which she hits the ball between her legs for runs. 

In 2013 she became the first England bowler to take a women’s T20I hat trick.

Nat Sciver was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2018 and won the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award in both 2022 and 2023. 

She is married to fellow England cricketer Katherine Sciver-Brunt.

4. Ellyse Perry | Australia 

Ellyse Perry is one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket based on sheer numbers: a Test batting average of over 60, a Test bowling average below 22, and women’s ODI batting and bowling averages of 50 and 25, respectively. 

In 2007, at age 16, Perry became the youngest Australian to play international cricket. 

She is also the first Australian to have appeared in cricket as well as football (soccer) World Cups, playing the latter in 2011 in Germany. 

She has won the ICC Women’s Player of the Year award twice, in 2017 and 2019. 

In 2020 she was named the ICC Female Player of the Decade. Perry is one of the most famous female cricketers in the world.

3. Harmanpreet Kaur | India

Harmanpreet Kaur debuted for India in 2009 but is best remembered for an unbeaten innings of 171, which helped underdogs India beat Australia to reach the final of the 2017 women’s ODI World Cup.

The knock made her a household name in India and helped take the popularity of the women’s game to the next level. 

She has also scored India’s fastest T20I hundred off only 49 balls. Harmanpreet has more than 7,000 international runs and more than 70 wickets. 

In 2016 she became the first Indian cricketer to sign a contract with the Australian Big Bash League, playing for Sydney Thunder. In 2017 she was awarded the Arjuna Award. 

Picked as captain by the Mumbai Indians in the WPL, she led them to victory in the inaugural season of the WPL in 2023. She was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year the same year.

Harmanpreet has also captained the Indian women’s national team across formats since 2016.

2. Alyssa Healy | Australia 

Alyssa Healy is a wicketkeeper batsman who captains the Australian women’s national team.

She had a middling batting record until 2017 but has since remodeled herself into a formidable opening batter. 

In 2018 she was Player of the Tournament in Australia’s women’s T20I World Cup win; she was named Women’s T20I Player of the Year that year. 

Healy was also Player of the Match when Australia successfully defended its T20I title in the 2020 final. 

She continued her big-match streak with a Player of the Match performance in the 2022 women’s ODI World Cup final, scoring a mammoth 170 runs and earning the Player of the Series award. 

In 2020 Healy surpassed MS Dhoni’s record for the most wicketkeeping dismissals in T20Is by any keeper, male or female. 

1. Smriti Mandhana | India

Currently regarded as one of the best batters in women’s cricket, Smriti Mandhana holds several coveted records to her name.

She has scored more than 7,000 international runs with more than 10 hundreds across formats. 

Her nine ODI hundreds are an Indian women’s record. 

She captained her state team Maharashtra in 2013 at just age 16 and debuted for India the same year. 

Mandhana was the costliest buy in the inaugural WPL auction and was picked by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as captain for 3.4 crore rupees. 

She led RCB to victory in the second edition of the WPL in 2024. 

Mandhana won the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year award in 2018. She has also won the Rachael Hayhoe Flint Award for Best Women’s Cricketer of the Year twice, in 2018 and 2021.

The player auction for the WPL 2025 is scheduled to take place on December 15, 2024, in Bengaluru. In this auction, bidding is about to take place on 120 players.

Also Read: BCCI announce the player List for WPL 2025 Auction: Only two players from Bengal

Shortlist of players

The WPL 2025 auction list includes 91 Indian players and 29 international players, including three emerging talents from associate nations. Of the players available, 30 players are capped (9 Indians, 21 foreigners), while the remaining 90 are uncapped (82 Indians, 8 foreigners).

Most of the franchises have retained their core players this season, leaving only 19 slots (5 for overseas players) vacant in this year's auction.

List of marquee players

Marquee players available for auction include Tejal Hasabnis, Sneh Rana, Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Heather Knight (England), Orla Prendergast (Ireland), Lauren Bell (England), Kim Garth (Australia) and Danielle Gibson (England) among many others. 

Available Purses:

• Delhi Capitals - Purse left: INR 2.5 crores, Slots left: 4 (1 Overseas)
• Gujarat Giants - Purse left: INR 4.4 crores, Slots left: 4 (2 Overseas)
• Mumbai Indians - Purse left: INR 2.65 crores, Slots left: 4 (1 Overseas)
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Purse left: INR 3.25 crores, Slots left: 4 (0 Overseas)
• UP Warriorz - Purse left: INR 3.9 crore, Slots left: 3 (1 Overseas)

WPL 2025 Auction: Live Streaming Details

When will the WPL 2025 auction take place?

The auction is scheduled to take place on December 15.

Where is the Women's Premier League auction going to take place?

The auction is going to be held in Bengaluru.

What time will the auction start?

The auction will start at 2:30 pm.

Where will the auction be live on TV?

The auction will air live on the Sports 18 channel (SD and HD).

Where will the live streaming of the Women's Premier League 2025 auction take place?

The live streaming will be absolutely free on the Jio Cinema app and their website.

The teams of South Africa and West Indies will face each other in the third match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 on October 4, Friday. Both the teams would like to make a strong start in the tournament by performing well in this match.

Also Read: ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Squads of every team

This match is important for both the teams as it can give them a chance to go to the knockout stage of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. With the result of this match, the form of both the teams and the ability of their players will be evaluated. South Africa will take the field with its balanced team, while West Indies will depend on the excellent form of its captain Hayley Matthews.

South Africa won the series 2-1 against Pakistan

South Africa women's team has recently performed brilliantly against Pakistan by winning the series 2-1. Their eyes are set on winning the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 title. Team captain Laura Wolvaardt is currently the fifth ranked T20 batsman in the world and has led the team to victory in many matches with her aggressive game.

Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon are the other key players of the team who are expected to strengthen the team with their experience. In bowling, Tumi Sekhukhune and Sinalo Jafta can play major roles.

West Indies won the T20 series against Sri Lanka 

The West Indies team has recently shown its capability by winning the T20 series against Sri Lanka. Team captain Hayley Matthews is in excellent form and has scored 313 runs so far in the year 2024 and has also taken 8 wickets.

The team is full of all-rounders, but their batsmen will have to show composure against the strong bowling of South Africa. The return of Deandra Dottin has strengthened the team and she will play an important role in both batting and bowling.

Also Read: ICC announces equal prize money for women as men ahead of Women's T20 World Cup 2024; winners to receive US$2.34million

SAW vs WIW: Head-To-Head

SAW vs WIW: Squads

The Indian Women's Cricket Team will take on arch-rivals Pakistan on October 6 as per the new and updated Women's T20 World Cup fixture released by ICC on Monday. The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, which is all set to begin on October 3, was scheduled to be held in Bangladesh but was moved due to security reasons. Post that, ICC decided to shift the tournament to UAE with BCB still being the hosts of the marquee tournament. 

Read Also: T20I Records by Virat Kohli

India will start their campaign against the Kiwis 

The groups are still the same. Defending champion Australia are in Group A alongside India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Group B consists of South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Scotland. Each side will play four group matches, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals.

The two semis will be played on October 17 and 18 and the final in Dubai on October 20. There is also a reserve day for both the semi-finals and the final.

If India advances from the group stage, they will feature in the first semi-final. 10 warm-up matches will be played from September 28 to October 1.

Team India will play their tournament opener against New Zealand on 4th October in Dubai followed by the much-awaited match against arch-rival Pakistan on 6th October at the same venue.

The Indian Women's team will then play against the defending champions Australia on 13th October in Sharjah.

Read Also: Top 10 T20I records which might shock you

ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024: Fixture and Schedule